| My Cut – Work series uses a surgeon’s scalpel to create spontaneous images. A clear mind and a steady hand guide in my exploration into shadow and light. |  |
Elizabeth Gregory-Gruen
Elizabeth Gregory-Gruen, Gunshot # 1. 100% rag paper, 22″ W x 30″ L. Photo credit: Kevin Sweeney. Courtesy of the artist.My Cut – Work series uses a surgeon’s scalpel to create spontaneous images. A clear mind and a steady hand guide in my exploration into shadow and light. Each image is initiated in the top layer of paper. An adhesive is added and another layer of paper, this layer is cut and the process continues, until a total reverse relief is created. The organic images defined in the numerous layers of paper capture light and create shadows that change with each moment.
The Shotgun series begins with cut images devoid of color. The concept of divine purity is examined—transcending color to seek serenity. Light and shadow define the whole. The use of natural elements while embracing the spontaneous cut action allows the pure essence of nature to be revealed. The introduction of spontaneous shotgun blasts violently transforms the unity of the cut image. The blast intensity is regulated only by distance. Keeping to the spontaneous tradition, pellets are shot at both the front and back of the work. The blowout effect on the cutworks is striking. Shotgun illustrates the paradoxes in nature and the human condition.
When the Shotgun series is viewed, those with no knowledge of the process are met with mystery. Once the process is revealed, the work meets an emotional spectrum of giggles to horror. The act of deconstruction often shocks; to reach a viewer on an emotional level is the best outcome. Shotgun is an exploration of a beauty that can be found through the shadow of violence. It is through this rite that a new serenity can be found.
The incorporation of controlled color in bi-color and tri-color combinations using a neutral palette akin to those found in nature bring a new dimension to the works. When an image is viewed, it appears one dimensional and exacting. Upon closer inspection, there is movement and depth. With this visual knowledge in mind, the viewer would find that the piece takes on an added intricacy, creating an image within an image.
Color infusion adds an infinite array of combinations—each exudes its own special movement. The Cut – Work process is spontaneous; no line is perfect. The imperfection is the perfection.
Both Cut – Work and Shotgun series use the circle as the primary format for imagery. The circle is the root of life, without end, the definition of infinity. The Cut – Work exploration will continue in January 2010, with Mirror. This series will begin to examine the positive and negative forces of light and shadow, while endeavoring into to new acts of deconstruction.
